Buenos Aires September 08

At the end of September I was privileged to be invited to Argentina with a small group of travel agents. We were hosted in TAM the Brazilian airline and flew via their connecting hub in Rio de Janerio. Thank you TAM for the fine ride both south and north.

The adventure started in Buenos Aires with two glorious nights at the Axel Hotel, http://www.axelhotels.com/en/buenosaires/gaylife/buenosairesgay/ The hetero friendly place in the capital city. The hotel is located in central city and within walking distance of the Florida street pedestrian mall. The rooms are very modern and can be best described as a hip high end 4 star property. The staff is magnificent and attentive. Just be aware the Friday night disco is loud and starts at midnight and goes to 3AM.

The city tour was hosted by Quimbaya Tours and was very complete. Your agent was making his fourth trip to the city. So saying the tour was great really means a lot. We covered the main attractions fully and with attention to time details. The La Boca section was the highlight for me. This is where the tango was born. The dancers are right on the street. I am enlisted but did not make the dance company.

The next best feature of the trip was our visit to the Faena hotel.
http://www.faenahotelanduniverse.com/

This super deluxe property is not to be missed. Just touring the property was an experience. Imagine staying there… WOW!

Call me and we can arrange your experience at one of the finest hotels I have seen around the world.

Tomorrow I will tell about the visit to Iguaçu Falls.

Visit to Russell Falls and the real devil

Hikes available for all walkers.

Now you can believe it was winter in Tasmania.

The real devil above.

Oh to cuddle in Australia.

The Beauty of Freycinet National Park

Most destinations I have been to have at least one outstanding feature. For eastern Tasmania it is Freycinet National Park. The sheer beauty was unbelievable. It is unspoiled and remote. Therefore the beauty is pristine.

Here a couple of photos to share.

Continuing on in Tasmania

Berry farm in winter!

I continued on today going up the east coast. One of the most fun stops was at Kate’s Berry Farm, www.kateberryfarm@aapt.net.au. Being the middle of the winter there was no one there but Kate.

Cheryl Dix, my guide. Kate on right.


She is a hoot in the finest of ways. She won over my heart with a free ice cream cone. Her berry products are known all around Tasmania. So I purchased a large jar of citrus marmalade for my 93 year old Mom. She loves it. It will cost a fortune to go back and get her more. Above is a picture of my guide, Cheryl and our hostess.

Following our morning ice cream cone we went on to Swansea. Where? Yeah a charming little town like many in rural USA. The lunch at the Ebb restaurant was incredible. I tasted wallaby there for the first time.
a marsupial that resembles a small kangaroo. Native to: Australia, New Guinea.

Actually it was quite good. No it doesn’t taste like chicken. Closer to beef or kangaroo. Also learned that you can keep big windows clean without much work. Use Windex outdoors, found at Home Depot by Dave, for an easy job.

Finally made to the fabulous destination of Freycinet Lodge. www.puretasmania.com.au
Love the setting, love the accommodations, loved the food.

travelaustralia.ninemsn.com.au


The next day the water taxi came at 10AM to take us to Wineglass Bay. Actually it was to a secluded beach where it was a thirty minutes walk to the magnificent beach. Rated the best in Tasmania. Here are some photos of the walk through the woods to the beach and then the beach itself. Too cold to swim since it was 5° C or about 38° F. Just the beauty made the trip worth while. The real fun was the water landing in the surf at the beach since there is no dock or pier. So I did get into the water but not by choice.

Wineglass Bay is worth the trip to the east coast. For the adventuresome you can walk two hours over the hills to the Bay. Great destination for a group since those that want to hike can and those that want a short walk can. Then the Lodge can bring out a gourmet picnic on the beach. This will be included in any tour I plan for Tasmania.

Tasmania, Australia

The waterfront in Hobart

I want to share my recent trip – August, 2008 – to the jewel in the crown in Australia. That is the island state of Tasmania. My destination is located off the southeastern coast of the Australian continent, about 150 miles south of Melbourne, Australia. Tourism Tasmania likes to say, http://www.discovertasmania.com/, just 1240 miles north of Antarctica.

The flight from Los Angeles International, LAX, was fourteen hours to Sydney. As I tell Personalized Travel clients, just three meals, two movies and a nap away. Once in Sydney the flight to Hobart is two hours. Not only did I fly half way around the world and half way down but for this South Florida guy I flew into the dead of winter. The temperatures for this trip ranged from 32° – 50° F. I finally arrived and immediately started touring this beautiful state. The Huon region was picturesque with its winter coat of no leaves, but no snow. Highlight was to have a great lunch at Fleurty’s Café.

The next day I headed east towards Port Arthur. This morning I experienced the Tasman Island cruise. http://www.tasmanislandcruises.com.au/ .
This was an adventure like white water rafting without the raft. The confluence of the Tasman Sea and the Southern Ocean made for a wild ride. Here are some of my photos:



The Captain.